Zelensky's War on God: OCA, ROCOR, and UOC Condemn Persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church while Raids and Arrests of Clergy Continue.
Synods and clergy have released statements condemning local bans and a proposed national ban of the largest religious group in Ukraine (UOC).
Previous articles covering the persecution of the UOC this year:
Twitter thread with regular updates about persecution of the canonical Ukranian Orthodox Church and related topics:
Statements released by Synods and clergy regarding Zelensky's plan to ban the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC):
Ukrainian Orthodox Church Chancellor:
ROCOR Synod:
ROCOR Metropolitan Mark of Berlin:
Orthodox Church of America:
Ukranian Orthodox Church Synod:
Met. Luke of Zaporozhye:
Searches and Arrests of Christians Continue
Two previous articles cover some of the raids, searches, and arrested by the Ukraine SBU involving clergy and members of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church. This article will focus on incidents not covered by the prior two articles on this topic.
SBU forces searching UOC Church in Keiv/Kyiv:
SBU raised the UOC's Sofronievsky Monastery in the Sumy region:
An Orthodox priest was subject to torture and beatings while he was held in captivity by Ukraine for several months:
Ukraine's SBU raided a Catholic parish, allegedly because the priest questioned the Bucha massacre claims made by Ukraine's government:
A priest was detained because he messaged an associate that he heard Ukraine border guards threatening to throw UOC priests off of bell towers and referred to them as “Banderites:”
Yahoo and The New Voice of Ukraine announced a UOc priest was arrested after messages on his phone showed “he called Ukrainians "Banderites" and glorified the aggressor state of Russia.”
Ukraine media (1+1) claimed that 50 UOC priests were arrested and charged with various crimes:
The head of the Ukraine SBU claims that “Ukraine has every right to blow up the Crimean bridge, cleanse "moles in cassocks" and keep a close eye on the Ukrainian oligarchs.”
From Radio Free Europe:
Ukraine’s Religious Information Service outlined the charges against multiple UOC priests. The article highlights the continual persecution, for years, of UOC priests under the pretext they're under the influence of “the Russian World” or are “collaborators” for having a Russian passport. The UN Declaration of Human Rights protects the right to religion, language, and nationality:
The article admits the UOC did not have literal propaganda:
Father Zakariya was accused of not clarifying which military he was praying for:
The article calls for the persecution of additional UOC clergy, including His Beatitude Onufriy (because he allegedly has a Russian passport. Keep in mind many older individuals in Post Soviet countries have USSR identity documents):
The offensive letter the article claims is certified by Meletiy in English:
Additional reports by the Religious Information Services of Ukraine (RISU) about the prosecution of clergy and parishioners of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church:
Ukraine has sanctioned clergy, including Metropolitans, of the UOC:
The rector of UOC-MP Pochayiv Theological Seminary was charged under Article 161.1 of the CCU (violation of equality of citizens based on their racial, national, regional affiliation, religious beliefs, disability, and other grounds) for allegedly using a Facebook account “that humiliated the national honor and dignity of Ukrainians. He also contributed to inciting religious hatred and enmity:”
RISU parrots the claim that Orthodox clergy include secret Kremlin agents:
RISU describes how banned books and a picture that says We are Russians are actually Kremlin propaganda/anti-Ukrainian and warrant criminal charges:
A petition circulating in Ukraine to ban the activities of the UOC has received 25,000 signatures (Ukraine’s population, prior to the war, was between 40 and 44 million, meaning 25,000 signatures equates to between 0.056% 0.0625% of Ukraine’s population):
Details of searches conducted by the SBU against UOC properties and clergy on December 14, 2022:
While the SBU and Zelenskys regime has targeted the UOC, Ukraine nationalists and militants engaged in a pagan like torch ceremony on the Day of the Dead during the Winter Solstice.
Source tweet:
Video of a pagan ritual performed by azov (date of ritual unknown):
Ukraine Shells Hotel and Restaurant
Ukraine forces shelled a hotel and restaurant in Donestk:
Music
Julian Assange warned us: